Rotary Park plans several excellent events throughout the year, including:
Nature of Cape Coral Bus Tours
Excellent New Eco-Friendly Activity!!!
Take a guided tour around the city in an air conditioned van or mini-bus. Possible sightings include burrowing owls, manatees, eagles, osprey, various song birds and butterflies. Please dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable, close-toed, walking shoes so you can get off and on the bus and walk around the parks at each stop. You may want to bring binoculars and a camera, too.
Each tour departs from Rotary Park, travels to several parks around Cape Coral, then back to Rotary Park.
2012 tour dates:
3/3, 3/17, 4/7, 5/5, 6/2, 9/8, 10/6, 11/17, 12/8
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
$15 Cape residents; $23 Non-residents
Advance registration is required. Limited seating is available.
Lab Fest
Held annually in the fall at Four Freedoms Park, Lab Fest is a fun-filled day for people and dogs of all ages. There are plenty of contests, raffles and food to go around, but dogs must be kept on their leash at this event. Proceeds benefit Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida and Wagging Tails Dog Park. The main sponsor of this event is the Cape Dog Bakery on Cape Coral Parkway, whose website you can check out at www.capedogbakery.com.
10th Annual Burrowing Owl Festival:
Saturday, February 25, 2012
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
$5 per person requested admission; children under 12 free
Held annually in February
Sponsors & vendors always wanted. Call 980-2593 for details
Special guest for 2012: Paige the bald eagle and three other raptors from the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland.
Rotary Park is home to the one and only “Burrowing Owl Festival”, a fun festival held in honor of Cape Coral’s official city bird – the burrowing owl. People travel from near and far to get a glimpse of these elusive little creatures. They reside all over the city, in yards, parks, medians and empty lots, so be on the lookout when you are out and about - sighting one is a real treat! At the festival, you can expect a fun day full of educational programs, hands-on activities for children, guided nature walks, LIVE animals, butterfly house, native plants for sale, bus tours to owl burrows in the area and much, much, more. The Burrowing Owl Festival is held annually, on the fourth Saturday in February, in partnership with the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife.
Wildlife Student Art Contest in conjunction with the Burrowing Owl Festival:
ART CONTEST RULES
THEME: Wildlife of Cape Coral
Medium: 2 dimensional (no photography; no computer drawings)
Size: no smaller than 9'' X 12" and no larger than 12" X 18"
Artwork must be finished with a white mat or black mat. Artwork must be original.
Please include the following on the upper left corner on the back of each entry:
Name Address Phone Grade Age School
Principal’s Name Teacher’s Name
Title of artwork and brief description
Each school may send only three entries.
Entries will be judged on: originality, quality, and creativity.
Artwork will be displayed at the Burrowing Owl Festival.
There will be three prizes in each division:
Elementary, Middle, and Senior High School
Fossil and History Festival
March 31, 2012
Admission: $5 ages 10 and up; children 9 and under are free.
An awesome educational and fun event, focusing on Florida's rich cultural past. Find out what pre-historic creatures lived in Florida. Learn all about Calusa Indians, some fantastic natural areas and Florida’s ancient times. Talk with representatives from various organizations about the Calusa, fossils and nature of Florida. Join us for a day of adventure, learning, crafts, food and fun. Fossils and jewelry will be available to see (and purchase).
Vendors pertaining to the event wanted. Call 239-549-4606 for information.
Native Plant Sales
Next Sale: April 21, 2012
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Rotary Park is home to two huge native plant sales each year. Both sales have several vendors and native plant experts on hand to answer your questions and to help you choose the right plant for the right place! Why is that important? Check out the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods page for details.
At each Native Plant Sale, there is always a fantastic selection of trees, shrubs, flowering plants & groundcovers to choose from. The spring sale (usually held the third Saturday in April, near Earth Day) is sponsored by the Coccoloba Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. The summer sale (usually held the fourth Saturday in July) is sponsored by the City of Cape Coral Parks & Recreation Department.
Tropical Plant Bazaar
NEXT ONE: May 2012 from 9:00am - 2:00pm
Organized by the Rotary Park staff, this annual event is held at Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve.
Each Tropical Plant Bazaar includes several different vendors on-site selling a wide variety of tropical plants such as fruit trees, bamboo, palms, ginger, heliconias, bromeliads, orchids, flowering shrubs, and more. In addition, there are usually some excellent, rare varieties of plants on hand for those looking for something special.